If you've ever Googled pool chemicals, a replacement liner, or a winter cover, you've almost certainly landed on InTheSwim.com — and if it was your first time seeing the site, you probably wondered, "Is this site legit?" We get it. Pool supplies aren't cheap, and it's smart to do your homework before handing over your credit card info.
So let me put your mind at ease right away: Yes, In The Swim is 100% legit. They've been selling pool supplies since 1982 — over four decades — and today they're owned by Leslie's, the largest pool care company in the country. Let me break down exactly what they're great at (and the one thing we'd buy elsewhere).
All products featured are independently chosen by us. However, The Pool Nerd may receive a commission on orders placed through its links.
We test and review pool equipment, chemicals, and everything in between here at The Pool Nerd. We've ordered from InTheSwim.com plenty of times over the years — mostly chemicals, covers, and maintenance gear — and they've been reliable every time. For bulk chlorine, shock, and pool covers, they're one of the first places we check.
Is In The Swim Legit?
Let's get the big question out of the way first — is InTheSwim.com a legitimate website?
Absolutely yes. In The Swim is one of the oldest and most established pool supply retailers in the country. Here is the "proof" of their legitimacy:
- 40+ years in business: Founded in 1982 in West Chicago, Illinois — they started as a direct-mail catalog long before online shopping existed.
- Owned by Leslie's: In The Swim is part of Leslie's, Inc., a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq (ticker: LESL) with over 1,000 retail locations nationwide.
- Secure checkout with SSL encryption.
- Real customer service: Phone (1-800-288-7946), email, and live chat with actual pool people.
- 30-day return policy with an easy online return process and prepaid FedEx labels.
If you're worried about getting scammed, you can stop — In The Swim is one of the safest places to buy pool supplies online.
Who is In The Swim?
InTheSwim.com started in 1982 in West Chicago, Illinois, as a discount pool supply catalog. If you owned a pool in the '90s or 2000s, there's a good chance their catalog showed up in your mailbox every spring. They call themselves "America's #1 Direct Source for Pool Supplies," and after four decades of shipping chlorine, liners, and covers across the country, they've earned the tagline.
Unlike big-box stores that sell everything under the sun, In The Swim only does pools. Chemicals, liners, covers, above ground pools, pumps, filters, heaters — if it goes in or on a pool, they sell it. They're especially known for their house-brand chemicals: In The Swim chlorine tablets, pool shock, and algaecide have been go-to value picks for pool owners for decades.
Owned by Leslie's
Here's something a lot of shoppers don't realize: In The Swim is owned by Leslie's, Inc. — the same Leslie's with over 1,000 pool supply stores across the country. Leslie's acquired In The Swim in 2022, and it now operates as one of Leslie's flagship e-commerce brands.
Why this matters for YOU: When you order from In The Swim, you're not buying from some anonymous dropshipper. You're buying from a publicly traded company (Nasdaq: LESL) with a massive nationwide supply chain, real warehouses, and real accountability behind it. That's about as far from a scam site as you can get.
Why We Order From In The Swim
We've bought pool supplies from just about everywhere. Here's why In The Swim keeps earning our orders.
1. House-Brand Chemical Value
Their In The Swim brand chemicals — 3-inch chlorine tabs, cal-hypo pool shock, algaecide, balancers — are consistently some of the best price-per-pound deals online, especially when you buy the bigger buckets and chemical bundles.
2. Massive Selection of Liners and Covers
This is where they really shine. They stock hundreds of above ground and inground pool liners in standard sizes ready to ship, plus custom-made inground liners fabricated to your pool's exact measurements. Same story with pool covers — winter covers, safety covers, solar covers, in every size and grade.
3. Fast Same-Day Shipping
In-stock orders placed on weekdays by early afternoon Central time ship the same day. Most orders arrive via FedEx within a few days anywhere in the lower 48.
4. Four Decades of Track Record
They've been doing this since 1982. Order volume, reviews, and history like that don't happen by accident — they happen because orders show up on time, year after year.
Pricing and Deals
In The Swim is consistently competitive on chemicals — and their house-brand chlorine and shock are often meaningfully cheaper per pound than the name brands on Amazon. They run regular sales and promo codes, especially around pool opening season in the spring and closing season in the fall.
Pro tip: Chemicals are where the deals are. If you're stocking up on chlorine tabs or shock for the season, price out their buckets and value packs before you buy anywhere else — buying larger quantities at once is usually where In The Swim beats everyone.
Shipping and Delivery
In The Swim offers free standard shipping on orders of $100 or more (a few heavy items like salt and sand can carry a surcharge). Orders under $100 ship for a flat $9.99 in the continental U.S.
Here's what to expect:
- Same-day processing — in-stock orders placed by early afternoon Central time on weekdays ship the same day.
- FedEx delivery — trackable, and no signature required for most packages.
- Freight delivery on big items — pool heaters, large filters, and above ground pools ship by truck with curbside liftgate delivery, and the carrier schedules a delivery appointment with you.
One heads-up on freight items: inspect the package before you sign for it. Signing the bill of lading certifies everything arrived in good condition, so note any damage on the spot.
Customer Service
In The Swim runs a real customer service operation — you can reach them by phone (1-800-288-7946), email, or live chat on InTheSwim.com. Because they only sell pool products, you're talking to people who can actually answer questions like which winter cover grade you need or whether your pool takes an overlap or beaded liner. As part of the Leslie's family, there's a large support operation behind the brand, not a two-person dropship outfit.
Return Policy
In The Swim offers a 30-day return policy. If you're not satisfied, you can return items within 30 days for a replacement or refund.
Key highlights:
- Easy online returns: Start the return from your account, print the emailed FedEx label, and drop it off at any FedEx location.
- No restocking fees on standard returns.
- Refunds in 5-7 business days once they receive and verify the return.
Know the exclusions before you buy — this is standard for pool supply retailers, but worth spelling out:
- Items must be unused, in new condition, and in original packaging.
- Certain chemicals can't be returned: cal-hypo shock, liquid chlorine, and acid.
- Custom orders (custom liners, custom safety covers) are only returnable for manufacturing defects.
- Opened liners and covers and used or installed equipment (pumps, filters, heaters, salt cells) can't be returned.
- For oversized freight returns, you cover the return shipping.
What They Sell
- Pool Chemicals — chlorine tabs, pool shock, algaecide, balancers, and their famous value packs.
- Chlorine & Bromine — house-brand 3" tabs and granular chlorine in bulk buckets.
- Pool Liners — above ground liners in stock, plus custom inground liners.
- Pool Covers — winter covers, safety covers, solar covers, and cover accessories.
- Equipment — pumps, filters, heaters, salt systems, and replacement parts.
- Above Ground Pools — complete pool packages plus everything to maintain them.
- Maintenance Gear — test kits, brushes, poles, leaf rakes, and opening/closing kits.
In The Swim vs Amazon
| Feature | In The Swim | Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Pool Specialist | Pools only, since 1982 | General marketplace |
| Who You're Buying From | Leslie's, Inc. (Nasdaq: LESL) | Often anonymous 3rd-party sellers |
| Bulk Chemical Pricing | House-brand buckets and value packs | Varies wildly by seller |
| Custom Liners & Covers | Yes — made to your measurements | No |
| Chemical Freshness | High-volume pool supply warehouses | Unknown storage and age |
| Shipping | Free over $100, $9.99 flat under | Free with Prime |
That chemical freshness row matters more than people think. Chlorine loses potency over time, especially when it's stored poorly. Buying from a dedicated pool supplier that turns over massive chemical volume every season beats gambling on a marketplace listing that's been sitting in a hot warehouse for who knows how long.
One Caveat: Pool Robots
Here's the one place we'd shop elsewhere: robotic pool cleaners. In The Swim's return policy requires items to be unused and in new condition — which means there's no way to test a robot in your pool and return it if it disappoints.
For a $1,000+ robot, that matters. We'd rather buy from an authorized robot specialist that offers a true 30-day in-pool trial with zero restocking fees, like Poolbots, PoolRobots, or Pool Express. We break down the whole where-to-buy-a-robot question in Stop Buying Pool Robots on Amazon.
For chemicals, covers, liners, and maintenance gear? In The Swim is exactly the kind of store you want.
Final Verdict
So, is In The Swim legit? Without question, yes.
With 40+ years in the pool business and Leslie's behind them, InTheSwim.com is one of the most established pool supply retailers you can buy from. They're our pick for bulk chemicals, pool covers, and liners — the everyday pool-ownership stuff where their selection and house-brand pricing are hard to beat. Just buy your pool robot from a specialist with a real in-pool trial, and use In The Swim for everything else.
Ready to shop? Here are some quick links to get started:
As always, if you want to keep nerding out over your pool, make sure to check out our list of the best robotic pool cleaners of the year, or head on over to our deals page at ThePoolNerd.com/deals for the latest discounts on top pool equipment.
